Maybe it's an unconscious nod to the Holy Trinity, since he pledged his life to the Lord almost 20 years ago. Maybe it's because he understands the level of intensity with which he speaks and that any more than three thoughts might overload and singe a cortex.

Regardless of the reason, expect a jump in the Pirates' effectiveness this season, courtesy of their new/old coordinator.

"There are three 'musts' that we have," Clark said. "We must play fast; we must play physical; and we must finish every play. That's what we make our emphasis on the field, running to the ball. Finishing every drill, no matter what the drill is, making sure you finish and make sure you're full speed in everything you do."

Clark cuts an imposing figure, at 6-foot-3 and, as he puts it, a too heavy 265 pounds. If the name is familiar, there's a reason.

Clark was a stone-cold beast of a linebacker on two University of Miami national championship teams in the late 1980s, one under Jimmy Johnson, the second under Dennis Erickson. He was MVP of the '87 Orange Bowl and one of the ringleaders of the '89 defense that velociraptored opponents to the tune of 9.3 points per game and held six without a touchdown.

Clark was one of nine players drafted from that Hurricanes team and played a couple of years in the NFL before dropping out and working his way into coaching. He admits that he didn't study the game as a player, which was why his NFL career was shorter than his talent would have indicated.

"It became such a hunger for me when I started coaching," he said, "because I really started learning the game of football, as opposed to just knowing what I'm supposed to do and going out and making tackles. Every day and every place I've been, I've evolved as a coach and have done things that have helped me get better in so many different ways.

"I tell people, and this is what I truly believe, even though I played football and played in the NFL — that was God's gift and I don't like to talk about that a lot — my job here isn't to get our guys to the NFL. My job is to do everything I can to make sure these guys become better men, better husbands and better fathers. Those are the three most important things you'll ever have in your life. That's what I try to teach more than anything else."

Again, three things.

Clark was HU head coach Donovan Rose's first defensive coordinator in 2009, leading a group that was second in the MEAC against the rush (117.0) and third in scoring defense (19.4 ppg) and total defense (2781).

Clark then joined mentor and friend Dave Wannstedt in Pittsburgh for one year. He landed at Colorado State with new Virginia coordinator Steve Fairchild for one year, then accepted an invitation from Rose to come back as a defensive consultant last season. When Rose shuffled the defensive staff, he re-hired Clark as coordinator.

Clark requires three more things from his players at practice: take the coaching on the field, and discuss the discrepancies later; play all out every play; get better at something every day.

"Those three 'musts' and the three things I tell those guys," Clark said, "if we do that, then we'll have a successful defense."